U.S. Intelligence. Yeah right!

At first glance this might seem counter-intuitive. I mean, if people know what to expect then they no longer have to be curious, right? Wrong. What you're thinking about is predictability.

Predictable = boring. But expectation = excitement.

And there's a very fine line between the two... so how do you create expectation? One way I've been noticing it pop up around me lately, is through (what I like to term) “flexible repetition”.

Flexible repetition is about having a framework to present something within, then altering the contents each time.

For example, I subscribe to a particular email newsletter that includes a “P.S.” section at the end of every email. I have come to expect it and am always curious what it will say!... sometimes I can hardly wait to scroll down! I never get bored of it, because the contents are always different and interesting, while remaining relevant.

It kind of reminds me of when Tui's “Yeah Right” campaign was first released, and every time we drove past the same billboard we would check if it had changed. Remember that? That was expectation. That was flexible repetition.

Are there any ways you could be practising flexible repetition? What could you implement as a regular practice, to get your customers checking back for more?